2021
by Big Albowski
Summary: AU, Futurefic. Lex' attempt to destroy Superman hits a snag.


Disclaimer: Smallville is not mine and I am making no money off this. Spoilers: Season 2  
  
  
  
  
  
2021  
  
The force of the blow sent Superman careening down from the sky high above Metropolis. He slammed into the 34th floor of the Gregor building and exited through a window of the 12th. A shower of glass, steel and cement followed him as he impacted the street below. Pedestrians ran in all directions trying to avoid the debris raining down from the building. Cars swerved to avoid the crater created by the falling hero. Even the news crews filming the action began evacuating the area.  
  
Three thousand feet above the city, Lex Luthor hovered in his latest development - an armored power suit that boasted offensive and defensive capabilities powered by kryptonite. His years of financing the scientific study of the Smallville meteor rocks, now dubbed kryptonite, had finally paid off in the form of a Superman hunter. As Lex looked down at the destruction below, he knew it was a good investment.  
  
Lex quickly guided himself down into the heart of the wreckage. The sight of him in his armor sent the remaining crowd running from the area. He landed several yards away from the crater where Superman laid unconscious. The power suit proved to be as remarkably maneuverable on the ground as it was in flight. He walked over to the edge of the crater. Lex knew his next volley of kryptonite radiation pulses would end this contest. Part of him wanted to extend the confrontation, to gloat over his fallen foe. It had taken Lex only fifteen minutes of combat to send Superman crashing to earth. After all these years, he wanted to savor the moment.  
  
Experience had taught him better. Lex raised his arms and the pulse emitters charged to deliver the final blow.  
  
Before Lex could deliver the fatal dose of kryptonite radiation, he saw a streak fly down into the crater and back up into the sky. Before he realized what was happening, Lex saw that Superman was gone. He turned to see if he could determine the flight trajectory of Superman's apparent savior. There was nothing in sight. His heads up display activated. Superman had taken in so much radiation that it should be possible to track him. The visor was calibrated to the appropriate setting. Lex could know see a faint, glowing green trail that went from the hole in the skyscraper and into the crater. It was the path of the initial fall. There was also a trail rising from the crater and travelling around the tall buildings two blocks away.  
  
"It won't be that easy, Clark!"  
  
Lex activated the flight controls and began to follow the radiation trail. His flightpath took him weaving around the taller buildings of Metropolis. Tracking from a higher altitude would be difficult. He flew over streets and through alleys, determined not to lose this opportunity. Superman had been on the brink of defeat several times in their previous encounters. Given time to regroup, Superman had a habit of adapting to any situation. It could take him several hours to recover his strength from this assault and Lex did not want to give him a chance to breathe.  
  
Now, there was a new factor to consider. Who, or what, had saved Superman?  
  
The trail of kryptonite radioactive residue ceased zigzagging through the city and started to rise to the Metropolis Tower near the harbor area. As he closed in, Lex could see a lone figure standing on the top of the building. Lex guided himself to a gentle landing in front of a young, blonde teenage girl. Dressed simply in jeans and tee shirt, the girl looked more suited to carrying college textbooks than facing down Lex Luthor. She was a curiosity to him, but he had more important matters to attend to now.  
  
"Where is Superman?" Lex tried to sound as menacing as possible.  
  
"Safe from you." Though her eyes betrayed her fear; her stature was one of defiance.  
  
"Little girl, I don't have time to." Lex did not have a chance to finish his sentence before the girl slammed into his chest with superhuman force and speed. Surprised by the attack, Lex was unable to compensate as the young girl drove him through the roof and two floors of the parking garage adjacent to the building. The impact momentarily stunned both of them. As he dug himself out of the wreckage, Lex activated the defensive field of his armor. The power the girl had displayed must be Kryptonion in nature. His kryptonite field should begin to drain her of strength as it had drained Superman earlier. He also began to charge his pulse emitters.  
  
"This shouldn't take long."  
  
He scanned the rubble looking for the girl. Pieces of the debris began to shift and the girl emerged from under a car about ten meters from Lex. She got to her feet, slightly dazed from the impact.  
  
Lex raised his arm toward the girl and fired a green blast. The pulse struck the girl in the midsection and knocked her back a couple of feet. She easily regained her balance and smiled at Lex. The blast seemingly had no additional effect on her.  
  
Lex, at first pleased with his accuracy, now became concerned with this development. Superman had cried out in agony with the first blast. He fired at her a second time. The girl braced for the blast and maintained her balance.  
  
"My father was born of Krypton, Mr. Luthor. I was born here. Kryptonite never had any effect on me."  
  
Superman's daughter!  
  
"Clark has a daughter?"  
  
"You don't know all his secrets." Her eyes darkened and the smile had disappeared. "I won't let you hurt him anymore!" Lex was unprepared for the onslaught that followed.  
  
The girl launched herself at Lex and proceeded to tear at the joints of his armor. Because of the kryptonite field, Superman had been unable to get within an arm's length without weakening. His daughter did not seem to have this problem. Before Lex had a chance to react, she had ripped the chest plating from his suit. As sparks erupted from the wiring, smoke rose around his helmet and obscured his vision. His heads up display began malfunctioning as the message SYSTEM FAILURE flickered on and off. He attempted to initiate the flight systems with no success. A teenage girl was destroying the result of a decade of research and development and Lex was powerless to stop it.  
  
The girl's attack became even fiercer. This was her war as much as it was her father's. She and her mother had stayed hidden since her birth. Clark had shared his secret with her mother when he found out about the pregnancy. After the initial shock, her mother knew the importance of this trust. If Lex had learned of their existence, they would have been targeted just as Superman's other friends and family had been. Because of Lex, she was denied the joy of having her father in her life. For years, her mother had to assure her that her father loved her and would be with her if he could. When her powers began developing when she was eleven, her mother told her the true story of her heritage. For someone so young, she was very mature. She understood the importance of whose daughter she was. Sworn to secrecy by her mother, she had lived as normal a life as she could. She honed her powers hoping one day to know her father and make him proud. However, that was not her only motive. She also swore to confront the man who had inflicted so much suffering on her family.  
  
By the time she had finished ripping the armor from his body, Lex was bloodied, bruised, and nearly unconscious. She held him off his feet and pressed against a pillar.  
  
'How easy it would be to finish this. finish him' she thought. 'But my father wouldn't.'  
  
Within fifteen minutes, Lex was securely in custody and being treated for his injuries. She could hear the detectives discussing the various charges against him. attempted murder, destruction of property, reckless endangerment and a myriad of others charges both new and outstanding. After a few moments, one of the detectives approached her.  
  
"Excuse me, Miss. I am Detective Hays, Metropolis PD. Can I have a word with you?"  
  
"I'm sorry. Can we do this later? I need to go check on someone!"  
  
"Sure." He didn't have to ask on whom she needed to see. He handed her his card. "If you could come down as soon as possible to make a statement, it would be appreciated. and Miss. give Superman our best."  
  
She smiled and nodded in agreement. She turned, but before she could take flight, the detective called back to her.  
  
"Miss, what do we call you?"  
  
She thought for a moment, slowly ascended skyward, and answered the only name she could think of before flying off.  
  
"Call me Supergirl!"  
  
--------------------  
  
Clark slowly opened his eyes and took notice of his surroundings. He was in a very nice hotel room but he had no idea how he had come to be here. The last thing he remembered was.  
  
"Lex!" He shot straight up in the bed. His body protested against the sudden movement. A hand on his shoulder urged him back down on the bed.  
  
"It's ok. He's been dealt with." He didn't recognize the voice. He looked up and saw the one person he did not expect to see, his beautiful daughter, Elizabeth.  
  
"Elizabeth?"  
  
That brought a smile to her face. She thought he wouldn't know who she was.  
  
"Yeah. It's me.dad." It was his turn to smile.  
  
"How did. where did. when.?" She put a finger to his lips to stop him.  
  
"I'll explain, but first... are you feeling better?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so. Who got Lex?"  
  
"I did!" She was unable to hide the pride she felt. "It turns out I am my father's daughter."  
  
He caressed her cheek lovingly and smiled.  
  
"The pictures your mother sent me didn't do you justice."  
  
For the first time, father and daughter would get to know each other.  
  
--------------------  
  
Later, after all reports had been made and he had recovered from Lex' attack, Superman flew with his daughter for the first time. They flew the scenic route back to her home in Colorado. Elizabeth's mother came running out to embrace her daughter. She had been so worried earlier, but was incredibly proud of Elizabeth after seeing the day's newscasts announcing the arrival of Supergirl and the arrest of Lex Luthor. Superman couldn't help but be touched by the scene. He had only just met his daughter for the first time, but he could tell that she had been raised very well. Elizabeth's mother, despite not having her mother in her life, had raised a bright and beautiful young woman.  
  
"You raised a great girl, Jessie!"  
  
"Thank you, Clark."  
  
FIN 


End file.
